There are many things that can cause us to stumble and come to a stand still in our spiritual journey. The one that I want to look at in this session is very subtle and it can happen without us really being aware of it. Matthew speaks of it in Chapter 7:1 Do not judge lest you be judged. For in the way you judge, you will be judged; and by your standard of measure, it will be measured to you.
I don’t have all the answers but I do have some questions. When we judge people around does it affect us and our relationships?
What about when we judge ourselves, does it affect us and in what ways?
In Luke 6:37 And do not judge and you will not be judged; and do not condemn and you will not be condemned; pardon and you will be pardoned.
It seems to be so easy to become the judge. Once we judge, we condemn either ourselves or someone else. Once we have condemned ourselves, we have to punish ourselves or the other person we have judged. Condemnation and punishment all go hand in hand.
I feel that in many of our homes, where we are having problems in our relationships, that judgment, condemnation and punishment is happening. And we are really not aware that that is what the real problem is.
I remember an incident where a person was speaking about another member of the family and making it very clear that this person did not have the Lord. I was very aware that this person did have the Lord. I spoke up and said that is not the truth, this person knows the Lord. That person lit up like a Christmas tree. The first person had passed judgment and it was wrong and was affecting the family relationship. This is happening in so many Christian families.
Are you passing judgment in your family? Nothing spiritual about that!
When I become judge I cut myself of from God, I lose my peace and joy, and revert back to the natural mind. I am not to pass judgment on myself or on others, we are to leave judgment up to God. God is the only one that can make a right judgment, our judgments are wrong.